Class 1A - Ullern vgs - Spring term 1999

Assignments involving the use of ICT for Jørn's English class 

January

(looking up given URLs, using search engines, email, interactive multiple choice tests)

Session 1
Session 2
Session 3

February

(using a word processor to produce drafts and revised versions; email contacts abroad)

Session 4

March

(more use of search engines, email to gather information; building websites)

Session 5

April
May
June
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Home
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

January


 
 

Session 1

Objectives:

Assignment #1:

The US Census Bureau is the government agency that produces official statistics on various aspects of the American population. This agency is in charge of the census, a counting of all Americans that takes place every ten years.

Go the US Census Bureau website and look for their "Subject A-Z" link or, if you want some more help, use the tips given in each question below, and see if you can find answers to the following questions:

  1. What is the total number of inhabitants of the USA according to the most recent estimates? (Tip: check out the "population clock" at the US Census Bureau.)
  2. What categories of ethnic groups are used by the Census Bureau, and what percentage does each of these groups make up of the total population? (Tip: go to the tables of the National Population Estimates.)
  3. Find out how "successful" various ethnic groups are if you measure by the indicator of money income. (Tip: go to the Population Profile page of the US Census Bureau.)
 

[Top of the page]


 
 

Session 2

Objectives:

 

If you feel you already know enough about search engines, go directly to Assignment #2

There are many good search engines and they all have good Help files that will give you instructions on how to use them. However, as an introduction for those of you who are not familiar with search engines we are going to take a closer look at AltaVista. Remember that the "syntax" (e.g. the use of + or - signs) is probably not the same for other search engines.

Example:

As our example we are going to try and find the answer to the following question about one of the presidents listed on p.167, Thomas Jefferson: what was Jefferson's private home called, and what does it look like (it is, in fact, one of the most famous buildings in the US)?

Try the following steps. Do not look at the websites you find based on the first five searches, just make a note of how many hits each search comes up with. Now type the following words in bold into the search line at the AltaVista homepage:
 
 

      1. Jefferson (searches for anyone or anything containing the name Jefferson)
      2. Thomas Jefferson (searches for all occurrences of Thomas and all occurrences of Jefferson)
      3. Thomas Jefferson -university -school -hospital (same as above, but excludes, through minus sign, websites containing the words university, school or hospital, since a lot of those kinds of institutions have been named after President Jefferson)
      4. President Thomas Jefferson (searches for all occurrences of each of these three words)
      5. "President Thomas Jefferson" (searches for the whole phrase between the quotation marks)
      6. the home of President Thomas Jefferson (searches for all occurrencies of these words)
      7. the +home of "President Thomas Jefferson" (searches for only websites that contain the word home, because of the + sign, and the phrase "President Thomas Jefferson"
      8. what is the name of President Thomas Jefferson's home? (AltaVista can search for whole sentences like this one; you can add plus'es or minus'es or quotation marks to limit the search)
 

Once you have found the name of Jefferson's home, find a picture of it. You can go to one of the websites you found in your search, or use AV PhotoFinder (see under Specialty Searches just below the search line at AltaVista's home page. Type in the name of the place.

Assignment #2:

        1. the Lincoln Memorial
        2. the Washington Monument
 

[Top of the page]


 
 

Session 3

Objectives:

Assignment #3

Please note that the multiple choice test does not test everything you need to know on the American political system. I expect you to be able to explain, not just state facts. Secondly, multiple choice tests can sometimes look simpler than they are. Read all of the possible alternatives before you click on the one you think is correct. On that cautionary note, go to the multiple choice test on American politics.



[Top of the page]
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

February

Session 4

Objectives:

Assignment #4

Essay: The stories of two Bills - Bill Clinton and Bill Gates

Bill Clinton and Bill Gates are often described as the most powerful man in the world and the richest man in the world respectively. They are unique in many ways, but can also be seen as typical Americans.

Read the text "Understanding Americans" pp. 170-173 in Targets. While reading, make notes as suggested in Task 1 p.174.

Next, read the official biographies of Bill Clinton (from the White House website) and Bill Gates (from the Microsoft website) . Then write a little essay where you point out how the values discussed in the text "Understanding Americans" are important in the official biographies of these two famous Americans.

First draft to be turned in Thursday, February 4

Note! Email me the first draft! Close the Word-document that contains the essay and make it a file attachment to a mail to my address.
 
 

March

Session 5

Assignment #5

Our læreplan states, among other things,  that
 

Eleven skal

5a

ha kunnskap om utdanning, arbeid, næringsliv og miljø i USA


Your challenge for March and April is the following:

Use all available sources, including textbook, e-mail, library, Internet, fellow students, and , yes - even your teacher - and gather as much information as you can about education in the US.

Demonstrate that you have acquired knowledge about this field by giving a presentation about it to the rest of the class and to the teacher in either of the following forms:


Work in groups of three at the most.

Note!! Whatever form of presentation you choose, you all have to submit an individual email log to me about  your work every hour that we have  access to the computer lab.